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Stratospheric Water Vapor beyond NASA’s Aura MLS: Assimilating SAGE III/ISS profiles for a continued climate record
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  • K. Emma Knowland,
  • Pamela A Wales,
  • Krzysztof Wargan,
  • Brad Weir,
  • Steven Pawson,
  • Robert Damadeo,
  • David E. Flittner
K. Emma Knowland
Morgan State University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Pamela A Wales
Morgan State University
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Krzysztof Wargan
Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
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Brad Weir
Morgan State / NASA Goddard
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Steven Pawson
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
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Robert Damadeo
NASA Langley Research Center
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David E. Flittner
NASA Langley Research Center
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Abstract

Stratospheric water vapor (SWV) is a greenhouse gas that has a significant, yet uncertain, impact on the Earth’s climate through its radiative effect and feedback. As the climate changes, it is thus critical to monitor and understand changes in SWV. NASA’s Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) aboard the Aura satellite has observed SWV since 2004 but will soon reach end of life. The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) missions observe SWV as well, with the SAGE III instrument operating on the International Space Station (ISS) since 2017. We use the constituent data assimilation capabilities of NASA’s Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) to demonstrate that the up to 30 SAGE III/ISS profiles each day provide a useful constraint on SWV from 500 to 1500 K over the observed midlatitudes and tropics. We conclude that by assimilating SAGE III/ISS SWV into GEOS we can continue to monitor SWV after Aura MLS.
24 Oct 2024Submitted to ESS Open Archive
25 Oct 2024Published in ESS Open Archive